The contract for the Greater Anglia rail route could be won by a Dutch firm, leading to further overseas influence on the British railway.

After the Thameslink decision, many are worried about the future of the rail industry in Britain. Yet there are already several European companies running franchises in Britain, of course and foreign operators make up the majority on the shortlist to run the West Coast Inter City services, amongst others.

While the Government has a responsibility to support our own economy, jobs and work based in Britain, it must also award contracts to the best bidder, regardless of their nationality.

It could be argued that another link to Europe could benefit both the industry, especially in time for such an important event as the Olympics, and the country as a whole. The network across Europe allows us access to the best providers, even if they are not always specifically from ‘our’ area.